Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 7: Poster Session I
BP 7.18: Poster
Montag, 9. März 2026, 15:00–17:00, P5
Microtubule networks exhibit amorphous material behavior — •Claudia Marcelli1, Raffaele Mendozza2, Shanay Zafari1, Ruben Haag1, Peter Sollich2, and Sarah Köster1 — 1Institute for X-Ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany — 2Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany
Microtubules (MTs), together with intermediate filaments and actin, are the main components of the cytoskeleton. Among these filaments, MTs are the stiffest. They can form a rigid cellular scaffold and transmit forces across the cell while remaining extremely dynamic and able to assemble into specific cell structures (e.g. mitotic spindles). While MTs have been extensively characterized at the single-filament level, it is still not fully resolved how they collectively behave at the network-scale level. Here, we present a comprehensive characterization of the linear and nonlinear mechanical responses of stabilized MT networks at the microscale by using optical tweezers. To this aim, we employ both strain-ramp and large-amplitude oscillatory strain protocols, applying a range of deformations that allows us to probe both regimes. Our results show that MTs can withstand high stress and behave as an amorphous material, exhibiting a yielding transition from an elastic response at small strains to a viscous response at large strains. These findings provide us with a deeper understanding of the mechanics of MT networks while setting the stage for future studies in which dynamic or active elements can be incorporated into the network to understand how activity modifies material mechanical properties.
Keywords: Microtubules; Microrheology; Optical tweezers; Amorphous materials